It appears that a snowstorm that had been predicted to affect the Monday morning commute will miss us, and the weekend weather will be clear, if a little on the cool side, but it still looks like spring is stuck in traffic somewhere.

The 8-day forecast on WXEdge.com doesn't show temperatures breaking out of the 40s before Easter, more than a week from now. The unseasonably chilly temperatures will keep the ground from softening up, leaving the area's gardeners to stare out the window and page through seed catalogs.

Traditionally the last hard frost of the season comes in early April, though the strengthening sun, longer days and moderating temperatures make it feel spring-like much earlier.

While Erika Martin on WXEdge.com said Friday morning that she is confident that the Monday storm will stay well to the south, WTNH meteorologist Gil Simmons isn't so sure. Some of the forecast models "bear watching,'' he said.

Simmons forecast calls for snow flurries on Monday, with a high of 39 along the shoreline and 36 inland. Martin says the mercury will make it to 43 along Long Island Sound on Monday.

If you use Easter as your unofficial start of spring, that won't be much help this year either. The holiday is unusually early, on March 31, and that it the past hasn't boded well.

Take for example Easter of 1970, said weather-watcher Richard Sparago of Milford. That year, Easter was March 29th, and the northeast was treated to a significant snowstorm with wind gusts up to 30 miles an hour. The Easter parade in New York City was cancelled because of the snow; 4 inches were recorded in Central Park, Sparago said.

The normal high in Bridgeport for March 31st is 52 degrees. No snow is forecast for this Easter. So far.